Fair Trade
by LazyLibra
Summary: A kiss for an essay, seems like a fair trade to Lily Evans, but wiith James Potter involved it most certainly is anything but.With Death Eater attacks and romacing rivals,this is a story that will surprise you. LJ, Story is MUCH better than the summary.
1. The Bargain

2.24.06

Hello my Cheezy Chums!

I have to say, I don't know how long I'm going to make this story. I'm going to see if I can drag it out to 7th year.

It's the end of 6th year now, incase you were wondering, and now I end my unnecessary rambling to give you my story.

**Fair Trade**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot….damn.**

**Chapter One: The Bargain**

It was Saturday, A beautiful Saturday as a matter of fact. Not that Lily Evans got to enjoy it. Lily had been up late almost all nights for the past two weeks writing, proofing and editing her Entrance Essay. She was applying for a summer internship at St. Mungo's. It was a one month internship, but that was all she would need. If she could get into this program, she could stay away from Petunia for the better part of the summer. And then if all went well, Marlene would invite her over for the rest of the summer, and dear Petunia wouldn't be a problem.

But she had lost her Entrance Essay.

_Dammit, I thought I had picked everything up!_ Lily thought as she searched the Charms corridor for the billionth time that day.

Lily's day had started as any other, wake up, take a shower, wake up Alice and Marlene, get dressed, go to breakfast, argue with Potter, go to Transfiguration, argue with Potter, go to Potions, argue with Potter, go to lunch, contemplate ways to kill Potter, go to Charms, try not to stab Potter's eyes out with her quill, but it was as she was leaving Charms that something unplanned happened.

She ran into Bellatrix Black.

Now incase you hadn't guessed, Bellatrix wasn't on her list of people she would like to spend her Friday with, and to be fair, it was really Bella who had bumped into Lily not the other way around. But no Slytherin would have seen it that way.

Anyway, that was about the time her bag split and all her school stuff scattered onto the floor. So while she repaired her bag, and stuffed all of the homework and books into it, the rest of the 6th years scurried by, the Slytherins just laughed and jeered and James Potter just waited, with his wand in his hand, in case someone decided to hex Lily until all the Slytherins left.

But he didn't speak to her, he just smirked and walk past her. Which is probably when she should have noticed something was up, because it wasn't like him not to make some sort of suggestive crack at her.

So by the time she got back to the common room after dinner and finished her week's worth of homework with Marlene it was after even the prefect's curfew. It was about that time that Lily realized she didn't have her essay.

Suffice to say that Lily Evans threw a fit. She wasn't allowed out into the corridors so she looked in her dormitory, and all threw the common room.

She looked everywhere until Marlene forcibly dragged her up the stairs and into the dormitory. Where Alice promptly gave Lily some Dreamless Sleep potion from her personal hoard of items-that-should-be-confiscated-because-they-are-potentially-dangerous.

So when Lily woke up this morning she took an extremely hurried shower, got dressed and skipped breakfast to head over to the Charm corridor.

+ 

Lily's POV:

_I've looked everywhere, where the bloody hell could it possibly be? _No one but

Lily's closest friends knew about her little language issues, it was only when she was supremely stressed or nervous that she ever swore, and right now would definitely constitute as one of those times.

_No one was there, or at least no one that would want anything to do with her essay, _she added sarcastically as Bellatrix's face popped into her head. _There weren't even any Gryffindors there; they had all left ahead of me._ Potter's face popped into her head. _Not even Potter would be that mean. _She thought to herself shaking her head to clear it, but his face wouldn't go away, then she remembered his uncharacteristic silence after the Black incident. _Oh my god._

Lily took off running to Gryffindor common room, it was empty but for a few 5th years who were doing some last minute cramming before today's exams. _Where is he? The one time I actually want to see him I can't find him._

"Looking for someone?"

I jumped in surprise and spun around before taking a hurried step back. He was just a little close for comfort, "Yes as a matter a fact I was, but I do believe I just found him."

Potter raised his eyebrows in a suggestive way, "What can I help you with?"

I ignored the underlying suggestion, "I was wonder if you would mind giving me back my essay, I dropped it when my bag split during my little run-in with Black and I was wondering if you would mind giving it back."

The 5th years across the room looked up, then noticing who it was scampered out of the Portrait hole. _Smart kids_. I thought grudgingly.

"How do you know I have it?" he actually looked surprised, the poor boy, doesn't realize how unoriginal he is.

"You were the only other person in that hallway, aside from the Slytherins, and we both know that those Death-Eaters-to-be wouldn't touch a mudblood's," He looked surprised at my use of the word, "essay."

I waited for his response as he meandered his way over to the fireplace pulling his wand and my essay out of one of the pockets of his robes, I suddenly didn't like where this was going.

"Why on earth would you want to apply to St. Mungo's anyway? We still have a year left at Hogwarts."

"Because," I replied stiffly not taking my eyes off the essay in his hands, "I don't want to be a Healer after I leave school, I'm going to go into the Order." _Obviously, we were all invited, all the Gryffindors. He should remember it was only last week. _

But Potter looked so stunned that this was obviously not the answer he was expecting. "W-Wha-What?"

"I. Am. Going. Into. The. Order. Of. The. Phoenix. After. I-"

"No your not." He said startled.

"I beg your pardon?"

"It's too dangerous!" He said moving towards me, my essay now levitating over the fire. I dropped my bag next to the couch and took a few steps forward as well.

"You talk as though you have a say in this, Mr. Potter, and I can assure you, you don't!"

"You can't go into the Order, it's dangerous! Voldemort-"

"Voldemort already has his eye on me, Potter, or did you think he was just going to let me live being the most powerful witch in this decade?" I wasn't up for modesty at the moment, plus we both knew it was true. Though the knowledge that Voldemort was already after me startled him significantly. "I want to do something helpful before he hunts me down Potter, and if the Order will let me do that then it's absolutely no concern of yours! Now give me my bloody essay!" My face was flushed and I was breathing hard.

He just looked at me for a minute, then shook his head like he was trying to get rid of some sort of annoying fly. He looked back at me and whispered, "No."

"What?" I said incredulously.

"Not without something in return." He had his signature smirk on his face and a mischievous glint him his hazel eyes. He waved his wand so that the essay bobbed closer to the fire.

"You want me to buy back my own essay? Not a chance!" I was furious.

"Then say good-bye to your essay!" Potter said as he moved my one chance to summer freedom closer to the flames.

"What the hell do you want?"  
"I'm not going to take your gold Evans; Merlin knows I have enough of it….No more Hogsmeade weekends, pity…." Lily watched him as he trailed off; knowing that she wasn't going to like whatever it was he wanted from her. She was so deep in thought as to what he could ask from her, that she jumped when he finally spoke. "A kiss."

"What?"

"You heard me; I want a kiss, a real one mind you."

Surly he hit his head, a kiss! As if I'd ever give him that. Potter seemed to notice where Lily's thoughts were headed because he started waving his wand making the essay dance above the flames. "Give me a kiss Evans, or say good-bye to your essay!"

"No!"

He shrugged and moved the essay closer to the flames…closer…closer. I bit my tongue. "Fine! Fine! Just stop."

Potter smirked and moved the essay on to the top of my bag as he walked towards me. He Put his wand away and moved closer to me. I licked my lips; they were dry from all the yelling I had just done. I looked from Potter, who was smirking, waiting for me to make a move, to my essay, to the fire, and then back to Potter. I sighed heavily, and then took a step closer to him. I stood on my tip-toe, and even then he was still taller then me, I put my hand on the back of his neck and forced him downwards.

And I got the shock of my life when our lips met. I felt a zap roll down too my toes. I pulled back gasping, Potters arms now around my waist, and just stared at him. "What the h-" But whatever I had been going to say flew out of my head as I found my lips suddenly attached to his.

The kiss was heated and uncontrolled, when I tried to pull back and protest, I opened my mouth to let out the string of profanities that came to mind, his tongue slid in between my lips and we fell back onto the couch. My arm around his neck and my other hand in his thick forest of spiky black hair, he pushed me down so that we were lying on the couch with him on top. I was surprised by how well our bodies fit together, how well his tongue worked.

Then I realized that I had no idea where my button up sweater was, and that James wasn't wearing his robes any more. That my tank top was up to where my bra was.

And that James Potter's hands were roaming all over my stomach.


	2. Trains and Talking

2.26.06

Hey, sorry about the cliffie, now I have a little favor to ask. If this story doesn't get enough reviews I might just kill it. But sometimes people put a story onto their favorites list without reviewing, so if you have done that, just hit the review button and type something non-sensical like 'dsfjkdvgnjkdbsgjbkaf' or you could even just tell me that you've put it on your list…..whichever, anyhow, back to the story!

L8r,

Lee

**Fair Trade**

**Disclaimer: Still own nothing but the plot…..GOD$$**

**Chapter Two: Trains and Talking**

"WHAT THE HELL!" I pushed Potter off me and pulled my tank top down; I grabbed my sweater from the ground as well as my essay and bag and shot out of the common room before he was even off the ground. I heard him calling after me. I ran down the corridor to a tapestry which I pushed aside to reveal a passage down to the forth floor that I had found in 3rd year, where I promptly collapsed to the ground.

I put my hands, hands that had so recently been running through James's black hair, and cried.

I was still there ten minutes later, when Alice and Marlene came up the passage.

+ 

James's POV:

I was in heaven, I knew I was. 'Cause only in heaven would Lily Evans be kissing me. I unbuttoned her sweater with my left hand; my right was around her waist, keeping her close. With her sweater off, and her lips parted we fell back onto the couch, as I pulled her under me her thin tank top slid up her stomach.

Way up.

I suddenly found my self with my elbows supporting all of my weight and my hands roaming over her pale, bare stomach. _Hold up_, I thought, _she doesn't want this. I _know _she doesn't want this; it's all just to get back her bloody essay back. She doesn't actually like me. _

_Doesn't she? _Another voice said in the back of my head, _she's enjoying it now._

_She'll kill me when this is over, if Remus doesn't beat her to it._ James's thought of how protective Remus was of Lily, and felt a stab of envy.

Suddenly James's found himself on the floor. _What the hell?_ James's felt rather intoxicated and had to shake his head a few times to clear it. Then he saw Lily race threw the portrait hole, slamming it behind her. I raced after her. "Lily! Wait up, I-" The corridor was empty. I went up to they 6th year dormitory. I fell onto my bed. Then I sat up and punched the bedpost. _Why the hell did I do that? If I had just left it alone, just did a little peck, or just gave the essay back without the kiss. Why the bloody hell did I do that?_

_Because_, the little voice replied, _you are an idiot, and you can't think straight when you're within a 7 foot radius of her._

Sirius came into the dormitory, Sirius was the Hogwarts Bad Boy, with his cloudy grey eyes and his longish black hair, the girls of this school practically threw themselves at his feet. "So, Prongs, how'd it go?"

I stopped smothering my self with the pillow and glared at him.

"Oh, no." Sirius said, "What did you do this time?"

"I lost control." I sighed as Sirius sat down at the foot of my bed, "She was just- just- so close, I lost control of myself…" Sirius listened through the whole story while I buried my face in my hands.

Then the door banged open and Remus came in. He looked livid.

+ 

Lily's POV:

The Library. They took me to the Library. This, because it was dinner, was probably a good idea, seeing as I didn't want to pass through the common room. It was nearly empty, save for a few stragglers who still needed to get to dinner. Alice and Marlene led me to the corner of the Library just past the Potions section where there was a few round tables set up. Marlene took out her wand and transfigured two of the chairs in to a pair of couches. Onto which I promptly collapsed. I wasn't crying anymore, I was just tried and dried up. I felt used, and for some reason, betrayed.

"Okay," Alice said quietly, "What happened."

Then Remus came into the little alcove where we had our little couches set up, and saw my tear stained face. "What happened?" He said in a whisper as he came to sit next to me, "Who did this?" he spoke emphatically.

A single tear escaped my eye and I looked up at the candles floating above us. I looked back at my friends who were waiting patiently for a response. "It started yesterday….."

Alice and Marlene were great, sighing and scowling at all the right parts. Remus was rather unresponsive, though he did bristle when I brought up the bargain. When I finished he said quickly, "I got to go, tell me if you need anything Lil." and left.

I spent Sunday in my room, Marlene, Alice and Evangeline- another girl in our dorm, also a very close friend- spent the day with me, going to the kitchens to get provisions, playing Exploding Snap and looking through the most recent Witch Weekly. Remus sent us the Daily Prophet when he was done with it along with a note saying that because of the new jinx on the staircase leading up to our dorms, he could not; unfortunately visit us, but that he would be in the Library if we needed him for anything.

According to Marlene and Evangeline, who were the ones who left the room most often, James was sitting on the couch in the common room and bombarded them with questions about where she was and what she was doing and if she was alright and if she would pleases come down and talk to him. So the trips to the kitchen took twice as long as usual.

The girls in the 6th year dorm stayed up all night talking, and eventually everyone fell asleep on the floor. In the morning, Lily woke with the sun as she usually did and was slightly surprised not to find herself in her bed but on the floor in a circle with her room-mates. When she remembered the events of Saturday she grimaced, then got up to take a shower. By the time she was out of the shower all her roommates were up.

"Here you go Lily wear this!" Alice yelled from the depths of her wardrobe, which she had charmed to work as a walk in closet, as a thin green v-neck sweater fly out of her closet.

"You're going to let us do your wardrobe today, Lily." Evangeline said coming out other respective closet and stuffing a bunch of clothes into her trunk, and tossing a pair of jeans at Lily. "We're going to make James cry, you'll be so hot!"

"The point is to ignore him, Evan, not encourage him!"

"Yes," said Alice coming out of her closet in a pink sundress, charming all of her wardrobe into her trunk. "But who said you couldn't have fun too?"

It was at that point that Marlene pounced on me from behind with the entire Gladrags Make-up collection. By the time her stylists where done, Lily was wearing low-riding flare jeans, Alice's sweater that, in Lily's opinion anyway, was a bit to small, showing off all her curves, and cut off a bit above her belly button. Evangeline contributed some small gold earrings as well as a locket and some bangles. Marlene dug up a thick gold belt, that made Lily's jeans look a little lower than they really were, with out looking slutty. In the make up department they put on a little lip gloss and a tiny bit of gold tinted eye shadow, as well as some gold eye liner.

Alice gave Lily some strappy, green high heel shoes that were high enough to be impressive, but not high enough that you would kill your self if you ran three feet.

"Something's missing…" Alice said looking at Lily in the mirror. Lily went over to her trunk, and opened her jewelry box. She pulled out a gold belly-button ring, and smirked at her gaping friends.

"I've had my rebellious days too you know!" I was slightly insulted by their stares, they made it seem like I never did anything spontaneous. I slid the ring into its hole and looked into the mirror again.

"Perfect."

We started dragging our trunks down the stairs when Evangeline gasped. "What?" we all groaned thinking she had forgotten something.

"I've got an idea I'll be right back!" She yelled over her shoulder as she jumped down the stairs. A few minutes later they all heard a strange clacking noise and were on their backs sliding down where stairs once had been. Lily screamed along with Alice as they flew into the common room.

Lily stood up and looked back at where the stairs had once been tugging down her sweater. "What the bloody hell was that!"

"Sorry Lily I forgot you didn't know, apparently whenever a boy tries to get up to the girls dormitories they level out and become a slide. I thought it would be an easier way to get our luggage down here."

"It was," Marlene huffed, "but you could have given us a warning instead of scarring the shit out of us!"

"But that would ruin the fun of it!" Sirius Black- who Lily guessed had been the one to change the stairs as he was still lying on his back- yelled loudly.

I reached down to grab my trunk only to find another hand already there. As she looked up she met eyes with James Potter. "I've got it, thanks." Lily said looking at her hand, which was hovering over his, waiting for him to it.

"Lily…" James whispered, his other hand reaching out to touch hers, which she moved away quickly. "Lily we need to talk." He looked so serious, standing there in front of her.

" Well," She replied, looking up into his eyes, only to realize how close he was standing, she took a step back, "I don't really want to talk to you right now. Okay, so if you'll please let go…"

"No, Lily-"

"Lily! Come on you bloody wanker or we'll miss the train!" Alice called as she passed through the Fat Lady's Portrait. Lily grabbed her trunk from James and dragged it after her friends.

The way to King's Cross seemed to take forever. Alice had wanted to sit with her boyfriend who in turn wanted to sit with the Marauders, thus meaning Lily had to sit with James. She felt his eyes roaming over her body appreciatively and sighed. She was looking out the window at the English country side as they raced past. At some point Alice and Frank went off to snog in an empty compartment, and then Peter and Sirius went off to find the lunch trolley. After a while Marlene went off to find Evangeline and her Raven claw friends not finding the rest of us suitable company.

The rest of us…There was no the rest of us, Remus on account of him not talking to the Marauders wasn't here. So it was just me and…

James

He waited a bit, I guess to see if I was going to stop reading. Fat Chance. I was really not in the mood to talk, but once he slid over to the seat next to me, grabbed my book mark out of my lap and put my book behind him I guess I didn't really have much _of_ a chance.

I mean, the only way I could have gotten my book back would have been to reach past him. But that would mean getting close to him again, and I don't think I could handle that, so I satisfied my self with looking out the window.

"Lily come on…Lily," he rested his hand on my shoulder, I suppressed a gasp at the tingle I felt when he touched me. "We have to talk, okay, I'm sorry. I really am so, so, so, sorry. I didn't mean to go so far, okay; my hormones got the better of me." Still I ignored him, or at least I tried, it was a bit harder when he got out of his seat and kneeled in front of me so I could see his face in the corner of my eye. "Lily I'm really, truly sorry." He looked so sincere, "I didn't mean to-"

"Stick your hand up my shirt?" I put as much venom into that single phrase as I possibly could, he flinched. "Well you did, Potter, to late, it's done. Now please leave me alone." I looked out the window. Even in this completely silent compartment I nearly didn't hear him.


	3. Head Over Heels

2.26.06

No Notes today, my minions of doom, just on with the story!

**Fair Trade**

**Disclaimer: STILL NOTHING! $$#$&$&$**

**Chapter Three: Head Over Heels**

"No."

"Excuse me?"

James sighed and met my eyes, which had finally turned from the window. "I said, 'No.'"

"What the bloody hell do you mean 'no'?" I yelled at him.

"No means 'no' Lily! I felt something when we kissed," he was on his feet now towering above me, "and I know you did to! I'm not going to let go of something that could be the best thing that ever happened to me!"

"It was a MISTAKE James!" I stood up too, "You said so yourself, you got carried away!"

"AND I'M SORRY FOR THAT!" he yelled back, "BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT I DIDN'T LIKE IT!"

"I beg your pardon?" I was startled to say the least, and slightly confused, if he liked it what was all that apologizing a moment ago for?

"That…That doesn't mean I didn't like it." He repeated quietly, looking down at our feet. It was just then that I realized how close we had gotten in our arguing. I tried to take a step back, but fate obviously had other things in mind. My shoe got caught in the carpeting and I tripped backwards, just before I hit the ground, James caught me. With one arm around my waist and the other on my back we were extremely close. A fact I noticed when I moved my head up and our noses hit each other. As he pulled me back up to a standing position, I unhooked my shoe from the carpet. _Damn heels_. I thought bitterly.

When I was finally standing, my hands were on James chest, and his hands where not moving from my waist.

"James-"

"Lily-" We Both started at the same time.

"You can let go now James." I whispered half-heartedly. Then I looked up, and realized that he was looking at me, like he was stealing himself to say something.

+ 

JAMES'S POV:

This was of course the opportune moment. I could tell her everything, how I fell in love with her in 2nd year, how much I _was _in love with her, how much I was hurt every time she rejected me, and how much, at this moment, I would like nothing better than to throw her down and kiss her from head to toe, but I'm a coward, so instead of doing any of those things, I let go and too a step back.

Lily was totally unaware of how much she was tormenting me, of my inner struggle. With those beautiful curves and the flaming hair that was cascading down her shoulders. The compartment was too small, she was too close. _I'm going to loose control if I stay here. Where the bloody hell is Sirius?_

I yanked the compartment door open, letting it fall behind me. I looked into the compartments down the train until I found the one that Sirius and Marlene where in with their other Hogwarts friends. I sank down onto the seat nearest the door and laid my head against the wall.

"Oh Merlin," Marlene said looking at me across the compartment. "Don't tell me you screwed this up Potter." I lifted my head off the wall and stared at her. _What the hell is she talking about?_ "This plan was completely wanker-proof Potter, not even Pettigrew could have screwed it up!"

"Hey!" Peter stared at Marlene, offended.

"Sorry Peter. What did you do, Potter?"

"Nothing," I shank beneath her glare, "okay, I started to try to talk to her, then she got angry at me for trying to apologize and we started to argue end of story."

"That's it." Marlene looked slightly upset at this, though I haven't the faintest clue why, I'm the one who's getting their heart torn out here.

"Yes."

"YOU BLOODY IDIOT!" I jumped at this proclamation; it was unlike her to yell at anybody, she was almost as quiet as Evangeline…almost. "The one time ANYONE wants you to take the term 'kiss and make-up' seriously you manage to ruin everything. One kiss James! You managed to date nearly as many people as Sirius over here; I thought you could have managed that!"

"It's not like she wanted me to kiss her, Marlene!"

"ARE YOU BLIND? Of course she wanted you to kiss her, it's not like she didn't enjoy the last one- Oh Merlin." Marlene slapped her hand over her mouth.

"What to you mean 'it's not like she didn't enjoy the last one'?" Marlene flinched; this was obviously something I was not supposed to know. "Marlene…. Answer me, Marlene. What do you mean?"

The brown haired Gryffindor slowly pulled her hand away from her mouth. "She liked it. Your kiss, I mean. She just couldn't understand how she could enjoy something from her worst enemy. She was confused, she's hated you forever, and now that there's a poss-" Marlene shook her head. "Never mind."

"what? Tell me Marlene!" I stood up, I had defiantly missed something here.

"Sorry, James, I can't tell you that."

For once however, Sirius had an answer. "Now that there's a possibility she might not hate you…that she might actually…like you."

I was out of that compartment faster than you can say Quidditch. I was running down the train, pushing everyone out of my way. I had to know, had to find out. Suddenly the train stopped, I looked out the window, we were at Platform 9 ¾ and everyone was getting off, I saw my mother with Mindy, our house elf. I ran faster if possible, I threw open the compartment door.

It was empty.

I pulled my trunk down from it's ledge above the seats and shrunk it. Being 17 I could legally do magic, I ran off the train. Looking around wildy.

"James! James, dear, we're over hear." I waved, but didn't move from my place on the platform, then I saw red. She was in line to pass through the barrier into muggle London, were she would probably be meeting her parents.

"LILY!" I called across the platform. She turned her head and met my eyes. She stiffened noticeably. I started to make my way across the platform.

That was when I heard the first screams.

**I have to say, I'm surprised at you, I would like to thank you all, especially:**

**xxhploverxx**

**cosmopolitan**

**harry-an-ginny**

**lilybookworm**

**Someone Special**

**jerryA.**

**GoddessoftheMaan**

**Roxie221bop**

**Thank you all so much, I'll try to update asap but I'm pretty bad about it on weekdays, my teachers love to give out home work, you'd think they would realize that _they're_ the ones who have to grade it.**

**I swear they have no lives.**

**On the third Chapter and I've already got 250 hits…though only 7 reviews, how sad. REVIEWS are like my bread, water and TV Thank you guys so much! **

**Love Ya!**

**Lee**


	4. Death Eaters

2.28.06

Sorry, I'm really not good at updating on the weekdays, I will try to due better! I know that my last chapter really, really sucked, which is why I waited until I had finished this one to put it out there. I'm not going to give you any shit like 'I stayed up last night writing this because I couldn't sleep.', because while I _did _stay up all night writing that chapter because I couldn't sleep, that is not why it sucked. It sucked because I couldn't find a way to tie the friends into the story so that, by the time you got to understand what their part was in the story, they weren't so shallow. I also needed a way to start bringing them into this story so that when I finally kill them all off –don't call me mean, you know it has to happen- or when they all move away to some distant country you will all be at least a little bit sad for them.

L8r!

Lee

**Fair Trade**

**Disclaimer: Same as all the previous chapters….grrrrrrr**

**Chapter Four: Death Eaters **

I looked over to the left, the place where most of the screams were coming from; they were moving quickly, blasting everyone and everything out of there way as they headed towards the center of the platform.

Lily.

I looked over and saw her face riddled with confusion._ Why doesn't she move? Why isn't she running? _Then it hit him. _She doesn't no who they are._ "LILY!" She looked at me moving through the swarms of people towards her. "MOVE!" I yelled as a Death Eater pointed his wand at her across the platform. He shouted a curse I couldn't hear, resulting in a bright red streak flashing across the platform. She threw herself backwards onto the ground, the curse flying into a third year Hufflepuff's father, causing him to collapse to the ground twitching. I looked back at Lily and saw another Death Eater raising his wand at her, and then I recalled something she had said earlier.

_'…do you really think he's just going to let me live being the most powerful witch in this decade?' _Oh Merlin. They were here for Lily.

Sitting on her arse Lily had no way to avoid the next hex that was thrown at her, there where too many people on either side for her to roll, so the next hex thrown at her was bound to hit her. I yelled the only shield charm I could remember, "PROTEGO!" and even as it flew across the platform I knew the charm wasn't strong enough. Racing across the platform as fast as I could, avoiding all the bodies lying on the ground I was still about twelve feet away when the hex hit her. I heard the sound of many apparitions happening around us. By the time I got to Lily she was white as a ghost, clammy too. But she was breathing. Thank Merlin, she was still breathing.

"James! James, my boy, are you alright?" I looked to see my father's good friend Bartimus Crouch Senior standing over me. "Come now James, get up we have to- Great Gods, what happened to her?"

"I don't know, the Death Eater that did this vanished, he shot a kind of orangish hex at her. I caste a Shield Charm but it wasn't strong enough to keep the hex from hitting her." I explained quickly. "Can you wake her up Mr. Crouch, she-?"

"Wake her up?" Crouch looked startled. "From what you've described she's lucky to be unconscious. That was the Hurling Hex, every time she goes to open her mouth for the next…probably day at most she'll vomit. It's probably best if you take her-"

"Prongs! Mooney, he's over here. Marlene! They're over- What happened to Evans?" Sirius pushed past Bartimus Crouch, who stood up indignantly and glared at the back of Sirius's head. "Is she okay, she looks kinda pale?"

"Death Eater hit her with the Hurling Hex, and she smacked her head against the ground when the backlash hit her, she probably has a concussion." James responded weighing his options. He knew she wouldn't want to go to St Mungo's lest they decide she is no good for the internship, but she couldn't go without some form of medical treatment. He was reluctant to go to a muggle hospital, they really had no idea how much pain they inflicted on their patients. Luckily for James he was saved from making a decision by his mother coming over.

"James, darling are you alright? Oh hello Bartimus, good to see you again. James- Oh Merlin" (_We seem to be getting a lot of that around here_. James thought sarcastically. "James, is she alright?"

"She should be fine," Crouch was taking control of the situation, "but she will need someone to watch over her until she wakes up, and then until the hex's power over her diminishes. I hesitate to take her to St. Mungo's, they'll be getting a lot more important cases today, we shouldn't trouble them. My suggestion would be to give her to her parents and then send her-"

"You can't do that." Remus spoke for the first time since coming over. "Her family is muggle, and her sister wants nothing to do with anything magic."

"Well then, she'll have to stay with us." Olivia Potter said briskly, "Remus, you seem to know most about her family, I assume they know you?" Remus nodded slowly, "Then cross threw the barrier and tell her parents that-erm…"

"Lily." Marlene provided quietly

"Yes, thank you, honey. That Lily will be staying with us for a while, and that they will be given reports twice daily about her condition. We'll wait for you to return, dearie, now hurry."

Remus looked at James, then at Sirius, and then finally to the pale Lily, before crossing into Muggle London. Remus seemed to be gone for hours, though it was actually somewhere around 5 minutes. When he crossed back over he looked tired.

"Let's go, they want someone to stop over at their house everyday to give them personal reports, as well as owls." Remus looked worn. "I swear, her father didn't even care, and her mum seemed scared to breathe for fear of upsetting him. Lily's body shuddered in my arms, but she didn't wake up. "Come on, we need to get her home."

Sirius and mum went threw first to get the house elves to prepare the guest room, then went Remus with his and Lily's trunk, I waited a bit to give them time to crawl out of the fireplace, then Mr. Crouch took my trunk for me saying that he had some information he needed to share with my dad. Finally I carried Lily threw the fireplace, making sure that her face was away from the ashes, "Potter Manor." When I finally stopped spinning I saw my Father talking in the corner with Mr. Crouch, whispering quietly, everyone else in the room was waiting for me. Mum went right into action, we were to take her to the guest room on the 3rd floor, it was bigger than all the others –except Sirius's but he practically lives here so he doesn't count- and she would check Lily over for injuries.

You could tell it was going to be a long week.

**I don't know if I like having Bartimus Crouch as Mr. Potter's friend and I also don't know what I should name him. Tell me what you think in your reviews, I really need them –yes I will try to watch my tenses thank you for pointing that out to me- I have 950 hits to this story, but it obviously isn't review worthy because I don't have many reviews. For those who are interested, I NEED A BETA! E-mail me if you are interested, preferably sometime tomorrow or on Sunday!  
L8R!  
LEE**


	5. Best of the Balconies

HEY GUYS!  
Sorry it's been forever, I was in Italia and I couldn't figure out how to update from there, what ever, I'm back now. I'm also thinking of staring a new story, it'll be Lily/James, and it's not going to be quite so serious as this one. I'm going to make the Lily a little crazier. I still don't have a BETA, but I understand that it's sometimes more fun to read a story if your not looking out for grammatical errors. Which if you haven't noticed are quite common in my fic. ANYHOW! Let's get on with the story.  
L8r!

LEE

**Fair Trade**

**Disclaimer: ….STILL OWN NOTHING…..god, I wish that this paid, I am flat broke, I don't have two half pennies to rub together. Which considering they don't exist is probably why.**

**Chapter Five: Best of the Balconies**

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LILY'S POV:

Something was squeezing my hand, it was warm, firm, and fit there perfectly. Then it was gone. A door clicked somewhere, all the sounds seemed to take a long time to process, she heard only half the words someone was saying, they were speaking much to fast._ Slow down._ She wanted to say, _I don't understand. _But her tongue wasn't moving, as her mind slowly caught up to the world around her she began to make some sense of who was talking, but how in the seven hells of Hades did she end up in this bed. She could feel the silk sheets rubbing against her arms. But she had been wearing a sleeved sweater when she got off the train…hadn't she?

Memories flashed threw her mind, people running across the platform, wizards in billowing robes and white masks, James racing towards her, James setting her down onto something soft, James wiping her forehead with a cool, damp cloth, James humming a sweet lullaby, James holding her hand. There was also a woman, a woman who had slipped off her jewelry and clothes sliding her into a large t-shirt. _James?_ My eyes were caked with sleep, but I still hadn't gained the control of my arms. I listened to the conversation going on around me.

"She's still so pale." That was Remus, so that means that I'm in a wizarding house. "Are you sure she okay?"

"Yes, Remus, she'll be fine once the hex finally wears off, let's just hope one of us is here to warn her not to open her mouth." _Who is that? Not someone I know surely. _Yet the voice still sounded so familiar. Whoever this woman was, Lily had defiantly heard her voice somewhere. "She strained her muscles in her back pretty bad when she fell, she'll hurt for a while. Aside from that she'll be fine, I assure you."

"She hurt her back! Why didn't you tell us this before?" _Marcella,_ Lily would recognize that voice anywhere.

"James was in the room, sweetheart, he was practically ripping his hair out yesterday when we told him he couldn't do anything. Telling him Lily would be in anymore pain would probably send him over the edge."

"Did anyone besides me notice that this is the first time he has left her side in the last day?" _Sirius…He was staying at James's house this summer, does that mean that that's where I am too?_

"His obsession with her definitely isn't helping, I think he is in more pain than Lily-dearest here."

"Everyone, come along now. Time for dinner. Let's see what the house-elves have thrown together for us tonight. Lily needs sleep."

A door clicked a gain and she heard her friends, and the woman who she assumed was James's mother leave the room. Opening her eyes was difficult, there was so much sleep in her eyes. She slowly reached a hand up to her eyes and wiped it away. She found that even that small movement caused her back to ache, she winced but didn't open her mouth, remembering what Mrs Potter had said about the hex.

Opening her eyes Lily saw a white and gold canopy high above her head. Threw her peripheral vision she saw she was in a magnificent room, all white and gold, probably as large as the entire top floor of her house. She saw a large wardrobe in the corner and the entire wall in front of her was curved and she saw threw French doors an amazing balcony over looking what looked like at least 50 or so acres of land, meadows and lakes.

Very slowly, so as not to hurt her back she pushed her body of the bed and started to push herself into a seating position. The door opened, startling her and her arms, losing their strength, collapsed under her. Causing her to land on her lower back. Hard.

"Ahh!" Her scream ended soon however as bile and yesterdays breakfast came up from her stomach. James's was at her side instantly, holding a bowl under her chin, while she threw up whatever had been in her stomach, which, thankfully, was not much. Lily winced as she ran her tongue over her teeth, tasting the bile in her mouth. James, sitting beside her, vanished the vomit, but kept the bowl under her. He tentatively rested his arm around Lily's shoulders, causing her heart to beat twice as fast._ Why, this is Jam—Potter, it's not like I'm another one of his groupies. He shouldn't have this effect on me, _but –despite this thought- promptly collapsed into his embrace, happy to have something to lean on. "Tha--" More bile, and more food, let me tell you, strawberry jam doesn't look so great coming back up.

"Shh… don't talk, what's wrong?" I decided to forgo the first order, and answered his question instead.

"My back—" More bile. More partially digested food.

"Your back? What's wrong with your back? No, wait don't talk I'll get some paper." He was worried! How cute! I didn't find it so cute when he moved off the bed and I had to sit on my butt again. It hurt like hell, so I promptly collapsed back onto the pillows. Causing James to rush back over to the bed and see my face all twisted up in gut-wrenching agony… at least it felt gut wrenching, I don't know if looking like your in agony is a very becoming expression, but whatever expression was on my face was enough to make James upset. "Merlin!" He ran his fingers threw his hair; he did that when he was nervous, I noticed. "Come on, let's get you up."

_Wait a second, he's not actually going to-Ohmigod!_ She thought as James carefully picked her up off the bed and held her close to his chest, moving out to the balcony. _My god, quidditch does Potter good…real good. What? I can't help feeling his abs when he's holding me this close. SUE ME! _ She thought to herself bitterly as James sat her on the stone ledge/railing on her terrace, overlooking a waterfall and lake. Still not having the strength to sit up on her own, she leaned against his chest, and realized that if she kept her back bent a certain way: 1. Her back no longer hurt, 2. she could sit on her own…well almost anyway, 3. she could hang her feet over the edge of the balcony, 4. she could still lean against James's chest. _NO! Wait! Scratch that last one, you damn traitorous mind! Hold on a second, what's James doing with my hair? _James was in fact doing something to her hair, though not what she was expecting. He calmly, slowly, steadily ran his fingers threw her bright red locks.

Lily shot up like a rocket when she realized what was happening, which caused her back to hurt like hell, which caused her to open her mouth, which then forced James to put the bowl in front of her, which caused her to slip perilously close to the edge of the ledge she was sitting on. However, getting strong muscles was not the only thing James's got out of Quidditch practice. Once she was done with the bowl he had his arm around Lily's back and before either realized what was happening she had her hands on his chest and was looking into his light hazel eyes.

Which flicked down to her lips and back into her emerald eyes. And again. James then slowly leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. _This can't be happening! What happens if I- _I pulled away. Quickly. I guess a bit too quickly, James's eyes where so sad they were enough to make _me _depressed. For once in her life, Lily actually wanted to snog James L. Potter, but she couldn't. No one was watching, nothing like that, she honestly, _honestly_ couldn't. If she did, she knew that she would get carried away like she did yesterday… or maybe a few days ago?...because she had to face the music, she didn't even try to stop James until she felt his hands on her stomach, after the shock ran down to her toes she welcomed him. And then she would end up Frenching him, then next thing you know they would both be covered in puke. James however got the wrong impression, as he then said something under his breath that I didn't catch, but I'm sure had Marcella in there some where. I didn't even half a chance to explain –or demonstrate- the problem because James scooped me up, careful as always, but avoiding my gaze, and had just set me on the couch when Mrs. Potter came into the bedroom.

"Oh, good darling, you're up. I need you to take this potion; it will counter act the hex. Now it doesn't work for everybody, but it should help, if it does work, then I'm going to give you another one for your back, some of the muscles ripped off the bone -dearie, you must have landed very hard- James be a dear and hold this bowl for me-, if the potion doesn't work you'll system will simply reject it, and you'll throw it back up."

The potion did work, so she took the one for her back as well. Then Mrs. Potter –she was in fact Mrs. Potter, she looked to much like James not to be, she introduced herself as Laura though, so she may be an aunt or something.- kissed me on the forehead, made me eat a lump of chocolate, and bustled out of the room. There was a moment of awkward silence, until she decided to break it.

"How long have I been out?" James looked up from his position as I sat down on the couch beside him.

"A little less than a day." He looked away again. "You didn't sleep well; it made us…me…nervous. Do you always have a problem sleeping?"

"Ever since my cousins were murdered…" James looked up, astonished, "they were visiting my house when…everyone got out except for the toddlers…" I closed my eyes as I felt tears coarse down my cheeks, but I couldn't stop now, I needed to finish the story…needed to tell _someone_ what had happened over Christmas. "Aunt Maggie forgot to grab the toddlers," I felt James move next to me and put his arms around me, all embarrassment over the kiss forgotten, "Chris and Leslie were three years old…"I was sobbing by now, my face buried in the crook of James neck as he pulled me onto his lap, "the death eaters made us listen to them scream… as the house burned down…" I couldn't talk anymore, but it didn't matter I'd gotten out the important part. I stopped crying after a few minutes, and just breathed heavily into James's neck, who was back to humming that unfamiliar lullaby. When I finally got my facial expressions under control I pulled back and took a deep breath, more to calm my heart than anything else, which had started beating erratically when James looked at me. I realized that I was sitting on his lap, and was surprised to find that I really didn't want to move, so to cover up the expected silence I asked in a wavering voice "What's that song?"

James blushed, "Oh, it's- well, I made- back in- …my mother used to sing it to me." He nodded as if to confirm it.

"Oh, it's beautiful." And it was, sweet and soft, a tune that would never get old. "I wonder where she learned it…" I muttered, more to myself than to James, who blushed again.

Then I made the mistake of looking into his eyes, always so happy when he was around his friends had a spark in them, one that I didn't recognize, but one that sent a shiver down to my toes. He swallowed and ran a hand threw his hair, opened his mouth, then closed it. During this time I just looked at him, followed his every movement and started to smile as he got more and more nervous. He looked away from me, at any where in the room but me. Finally I decided I had had enough.

"Do you find me so repulsive that you can't even look at my face?" That shocked him, he snapped his head around to look at me, and already had the "Nnn--" part of 'no' out of his mouth when he realized that I had moved my head closer during his guestroom sight seeing. As such, when he moved his head our lips grazed each other. He pulled back immediately, and was starting what I could tell was an apology when I did something neither of us expected.

I, Lilianna Elizabeth Evans, kissed him.

I slowly slid his arms around my waist, he was too stunned to do anything, then I wrapped my arms around his neck. That got his attention, his lips immediately started moving beneath mine, and sent a shock threw my body. It was like kissing lightning, only better, because you can't hold lightning, or run your fingers threw it's hair. Only when I opened my mouth to move the kiss up a level. He did something I _totally _did not expect. Something so un-Potter-like, you probably didn't expect it either.

He pushed me way.

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Sorry mi chicos! No James POV, there probably won't be any in the next chapter either. Not until I get a Beta any way, it's too difficult to do to POV's when no one's there to make sure your not screwing it up.

L8R!

LEE

PS: Don't you just hate me for the cliffie?


	6. Chapter 6

Hi my cheesy chums!

You hate me because of that cliff hanger don't you! Well your lucky it's my spring break and I have no life. Well that's not true, my life –and my wallet- just went on vacation to Florida to shop for winter houses, and my other bestest friend ran away to go backpacking threw Italia with her aunt. I took my vacation last week, and I GOT A TAN! Yeahhh! I no longer look like a complete freak.  
L8R!  
LEE

**Fair Trade**

**Disclaimer:…do I look like a millionaire?**

**Chapter Six: A Diss and a Kiss**

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He pushed me away.

I have to admit, this was not something I had expected. I was totally shocked beyond mortification. I barely heard what he was saying "Look, Lily you're-" I just held up a hand and shook my head. And the lines flowing from my tongue that I was saying next was totally not something I thought would _ever _come out of my mouth.

"It's okay, I get it." Which was not true, I totally didn't get anything any more. Why the hell had I done that? ME! Of all people!

"Lily, I'm sorry, but I'm not going to snog you if you're going to regret it later." James looked rather depressed actually. Like a kid whose mother just told him he couldn't have dessert for a month.

I gave an icy laugh, and stood up, and started to move outside, back onto the balcony, it had its own furniture, a white bench with white pillows and gold tassels, and the too chair had pillows to match which just seem to confuse him more, "Potter," he winced at the cold voice that was coming out of my mouth, internally I did too. "I said I got it, okay, you didn't need to feed me some bullshitting lie. Just go away."

"What the bloody hell do you mean lie! That was the absolute friggin' truth!" He stood up and followed me outside.

"Potter for your information, I was not planning to have to regret anything until now! And the chase is over now, okay! I kissed you! Move on to the next girl and leave me alone."

"Move on?" Potter's voice level had dropped dramatically "Move on, form the most fabulous, gorgeous and caring person I've ever laid eyes on?" I didn't have to see his face to know that he was pissed. "What the hell do you think this is some sort of game?" He took my silence for a yes, "You do don't you? Merlin, the girl I have been trying to get for the last four years thinks this whole damn thing has been a game." He gave an icy laugh o rival my own. "Brilliant."

"It's not like you did anything to convince me otherwise! You've slept with half the girls in Hogwarts!" I stood up and saw him wince at this, "See! You don't even bother to deny it! Can you blame me for saying no? Your reputation is not the greatest one! And now that there's finally a chance-" I stopped; no way was I admitting that now. It was a secret that intended to take to my grave, I walk past him back inside.

"Now that what?" he looked like there was something that he already knew, but was waiting for confirmation. Well, no way was he getting that here. I opened my trunk, which looked rather small at the foot of such a magnificent bed, and grabbed a random book out of it. I was going to read on my bed until he left, ignore him, just ignore him. He would get bored and leave eventually. I closed my trunk, turned around and almost walked straight into Potter's chest as he stood not even a foot away from me. _How the hell did he get there so fast? How could I not have heard him?_ "Now that what, Lily?" He was trying to catch my eyes so I deliberately shook off the hand that he had placed on my shoulder and tried to move around him. Tried being the operative word, as James then grabbed me and spun me around. "Now that what! Tell me, dammit!"

"Why?" I yelled back in his face "So that you can use it against me at a later time? I don't think so!"

"Then answer some of my questions!"

"Like what?"

"Did you mean it when you said you weren't planning on regretting anything?" He whispered as he took another step closer. In response I took another step back and looked into his now dangerously dark eyes defiantly.

"Yes." I moved around to sit on the bed. I swung my legs up and opened my book. After a few minutes I looked up and saw Potter staring at me, I realized that all I was wearing was the lacey green underwear that Evangeline had made me wear under the sweater and a t-shirt that Mrs. Potter had slipped me into. I could see Potter checking out my legs. "What." I snapped at him, causing him to look back into my eyes.

"Uh- No- nothing. I-" he swallowed, and shook his head, as if to rid himself of an annoying buzzing sound. Then he looked back at me with a set face, eyes blazing in determination. What he is determined to do I have n idea.

I rolled my eyes and went back to reading Pride and Prejudice the book I had grabbed out of my trunk and left him standing there. I shouldn't have been as surprised as I was at his next move, I mean I hadn't even heard him behind me when I was going threw my trunk, but I was. Surprised, I mean. He gently, but firmly, pulled the book from my grasp, snapped it shut and set it on the bed side table. Then he grabbed my legs and pulled them off the bed so that I was facing him. "Potter- what do you thi-"

He grasped my face between my hands and kissed me firmly on the lips. My hands made their way up his chest and around his neck, making him move his arms around my waist and pull me towards him. If you couldn't see my under wear you sure could now. He lightly nipped my bottom lip as he pulled away. "Everyone is swimming, want to join them?"

I smiled, "Let me change."

"Sure, I'll meet you back here in ten minutes." He kissed my lightly again on the mouth, "Unless…" he smirked suggestively.

"James, just go." I laughed, heading over to my trunk.

I pulled out my green bikini that Alice had bought me for my birthday. It was dark green, the same color as my eyes and had a bunch of exotic, colorful Hawaiian flowers embroidered on the breasts. It had a bamboo circle connecting it together on the top and on the bottom, I tied the shell- studded straps in tiny bows so that the ends dangled down my back. I was just brushing my teeth in the huge marble bathroom that branched off my room when James entered in black trunks. I slid into my white, bohemian skirt and we both headed down to the lake in the back yard.

Lily gasped when she saw it. It looked more like the ocean than a lake. She could she straight threw the bright blue water at the many magical and muggle plants at the bottom.

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James's POV:

"We've got to swim a ways." James led her over to wear the others had dumped her stuff, dropped his towel and headed into the lake. "The others went into the caves under the waterfall. It's just across the lake, don't worry it's not…" James turned around and saw Lily wading threw the shallow water towards him. _She's gorgeous_. And she was. Her swim suit had been concealed by her towel and her skirt on the way down from her room, but now that they were gone you could see how well green accented her eyes, how the suit showed off her curves.

**_James, mi'boy, you got it bad._** A voice that sounded quiet a bit like Sirius said in the back of his mind. He shook it away. Lily was staring at him, with a questioning face. Obviously she had asked him a question.

Instead of answering and sounding like a completely idiot, he took a step forward and closed the space between them in, what he thought, was a mind blowing kiss. It was just as good as all of the others, her lips burned his skin, making him want more. No, _need_ more. He wrapped his arms around her, her fingers running threw his hair, making it hard for him to concentrate on anything. His left hand moved down, closer to her waist, while his right arm moved upward until he could finger her hair. He pulled her closer, and felt her breath hitch as he ran his fingers over the waist of her bikini. She pulled back smiling, and I smiled too, knowing that I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight with that kiss on my mind.

"Come on, let's see what sort of idiotic scheme Sirius has chosen to entertain everyone with." I took Lily's hand, causing shivers to run up my spine and led her to the water fall on the other side to the lake. I forced myself to look where I was going but more than once my eyes skimmed over her body. We past under the water fall into the caves that I had found with my sister Fantine last year and saw the boys plus Marcella and Alice sitting on one of the top ledges (A/N: think of this as a HUGE cavern with the ledges coming out of the wall like stairs, only these ledges are all HUGE, but all different sizes, think of them as about the size of you room each, 'kay?) Floating balls of light illuminating what every game they were playing. I lifted lily up onto the first tier, then we made our way up the rest of them, finding some of the trash that the Marauders had left around during our various expeditions. When we finally got to the top tier everybody hugged Lily, saying they where so happy that she was better, and yada, yada, yada.

"So, do you guys want to play our game?" Sirius asked brightly, a little too brightly.

Lily and I nodded to each other warily, then Lily said to Sirius, "Sure, why not. What are we playing?"

"Truth, Dare or Would You Rather!"

Oh Merlin.

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HEY!  
2 updates in one weekend! It's you lucky week. I'm not going to update again until I get enough reviews, and I STILL NEED A BETA!  
'Ta until then,  
LEE


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